This Will End in Tears
by IGotTime
Summary: Valentine Vida was raised by vampires. His Aunt Sarah has told him he's the last of their line. He has wondered his entire life why his parents had been murdered, and by whom. When a new classmate arrives in school, he may have the answers to all of Valentine's questions, some of which Valentine might not be ready to hear.


**prologue**

Sarah forced herself to calmly walk down the stark white hallway. The SingleEarth medical ward was quiet and empty at thise time of night. Sarah would have been perfectly fine walking the hallways for an eternity. She dreaded reaching the end, of getting the confirmation she already knew in her heart and mind but hadn't voiced aloud.

Caryn Smoke was waiting at the end of the hallway, her face solemn and sad. Sarah saw the healer clench her fists tightly before pushing away from the nurses station and walking toward the vampire.

Sarah braced herself.

"Hey," Caryn said softly as she stepped forward and hugged Sarah. Sarah leaned against the Smoke witch for a moment and closed her eyes.

"Hey."

They reluctantly pulled apart from each other, hands loosely clasped. Both of them knew what would happen next, but they still stood there, looking at each other without _really_ looking, wanting to prolong the inevitable.

"Sarah, I... I'm so sorry," Caryn said, her voice starting off strong before breaking on the last word.

Sarah closed her eyes. She focused on Caryn's rapid heartbeat, on the scent of lavender shampoo she could smell from the healer's hair, on anything except the storm of emotions raging inside her heart. Caryn was speaking again, but it sounded like she was under water. She felt the Smoke witch reach for her hand, squeeze it, and then start to gently tug her down a hallway.

They approached a nursery that was empty except for one lonely looking bassinet in the far left corner.

The infant inside of it was fast asleep, wrapped snugly in a soft blue blanket, tuffs of pale blonde hair peeking out underneath his blue cap.

Sarah couldn't do more than stare at the baby for several long moments before Caryn spoke, "His name is Valentine. Adianna and Seth had finally agreed on a name a couple days ago." Gently, she asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

Sarah didn't know what she wanted to do, but she knew she didn't - _couldn't_ \- want to hold her nephew. Her arms trembled with the desire to hunt the people responsible for her sister and brother-in-law's deaths, to squeeze the life out of them, watch them beg for mercy...

As she watched her sleeping nephew, who was completely unaware and innocent to all the chaos that had happened around him, she knew it wasn't safe. Sarah ached for bloodshed, for revenge. She would have time to bond with the baby and get acquainted after she dealt with the murderers who killed her kin.

Caryn looked concerned when Sarah turned down the offer to hold him, but Sarah knew she'd understand. She was grateful when the healer instead opted to help put the sleeping babe in a carrier, along with a bag filled with everything Sarah would need for a while until she could get the proper supplies needed for a newborn.

Instead of transporting to the home she shared with the twins, she slowly and carefully walked out of the SingleEarth haven. She placed the carrier on the floor of the passenger seat before she eased her car out of the parking lot and then drove away, as slow and cautious as someone who had a bomb inside their car.

It was a long drive, but Sarah welcomed it. Her mind went blank, white, filled with nothingness as she followed the winding roads and listened to the soft, quick heartbeat of her nephew.

She blinked and suddenly was parked outside her destination. It unnerved her how she wasn't quite sure how she had gotten there, but was glad none the less. She sat back against the driver seat and closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath.

What was she going to do?

She knew nothing about childcare, had never held a baby... how was she expected to raise one?

She heaved herself out of the car and went around to the passenger door, gently opening and closing the door so as to not wake the infant. She held the carrier close to her side, as it began to feel heavier and heavier with each step she took. As she finally reached the top of the front steps, she reached out to open the door, only to have it open for her.

Nikolas, Kristopher and Nissa all stood on the other side, wearing differing expressions of concern. Sarah stepped inside, looking everywhere except at her friends... her _family_. They didn't know what she knew. She didn't have the strength to say it herself, out loud.

"Sarah..." Nikolas said, his voice tight with pain, as if he sensed what was coming.

Nissa closed the door and came to Sarah's side, putting her hand on her shoulder, before looking down and seemingly just realizing that Sarah was not alone.

"Is that..?"

The twins looked down towards the carrier as well, just as a soft, pitiful wail rang out that broke Sarah's heart. Hearing her nephew cry seemed to awaken something in her, and before she knew it...

"This is my nephew, Valentine," She said, voice almost a whisper. She looked up at them, her eyes filled with tears, and choked out, "And he's all I have left of my sister."


End file.
